The present invention relates to book covers, and especially to transparent polymer book covers adapted to be rapidly attached to paperback or soft cover books to protect the books from damage.
A wide variety of book covers have been provided in the past for the protection of books or for the conversion of paperback or soft cover books to hardback books. An inexpensive transparent cover is especially desirable for institutions such as libraries, in which paperback books receive more intensive use by a large number of parties than the books are made to withstand, which results in the covers coming loose from the books, otherwise becoming damaged.
A typical prior art patent showing a self binder for books, pamphlets, and the like, may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,227, which provides self binding cover sheet material which is scored in a geometric pattern to allow the sheet material to fit a variety of sizes of books. Unlike this patent, the present invention does not score the material, but actually cuts it in a uniform pattern rather than a geometric pattern to provide a book cover which can be rapidly attached to those books expecting heavy use. Other book covers can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,241,863 and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,240. A book binding process can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,758, and a protective case for books shown in the Feather U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,327. A process for converting paperback books to a hardback book is seen in the Hertzberg U.S. Pat. No. 3,161,423, while an imitated normal hardback book cover is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,296. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,770, a case for books provides a pressure sensitive resilient spine pad; and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,287, a book cover is formed from a synthetic resin. U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,423 has pressure sensitive end sheets for uncased books and a method and apparatus for casing books; while U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,187 has a book cover for paperback volumes with folded-in, longitudinal flaps at opposed edges thereof and may be provided with optional reinforcing boards. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,326, a wrap around cover for books provides for wrapping around the spine of a book of the type bound together by a pair of plastic binding strips and studs holding the sheets together. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,244, an adhesive binding cover is provided; while U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,089 is for a machine for producing imitated normal hardback covers and a method therefore; while U.S. Pat. No. 3,133,750 has a book cover using a covered adhesive for the spine of the book. U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,341 is a book protector.
The present invention provides a method of making transparent book covers ready to attach to a paperback or other book in which a plurality of cuts are made to provide for variable thicknesses of books, which books are made in a highly automated process.